This invention relates to apparatus for handling optical fibres, and in particular to a mechanism that can pick up an optical fibre for subsequent testing purposes.
It is often necessary to test optical fibres to check whether optical energy is passing therethrough, or to measure the level of optical energy passing therethrough. Typically, such testing procedures are used in the maintenance of optical transmission paths and for fault finding. Known testing methods require a cleaved fibre end. This requirement entails not only disruption of the system, but it is time consuming and requires the use of special tools and a high level of skill by the operator.
Recently, a testing method has been proposed (see the specification of our copending U.K. patent application no. 8706929), corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 399,503, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,007, which utilises optical energy tapped from a curved portion of an optical fibre. In practice, tapping optical energy from a curved optical fibre requires the fibre to be handled very carefully, otherwise the fibre coating can be damaged, which would adversely affect the transmission characteristics of the fibre.
The aim of the invention is to provide optical fibre handling apparatus which handles optical fibres sufficiently gently to avoid damage thereto.